


The failures of one's heart

by Yurika_Schiffer



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternative Universe/AU, Gen, blood mentions, death mentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-06
Packaged: 2018-03-29 07:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3888367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yurika_Schiffer/pseuds/Yurika_Schiffer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you face your greatest enemy, you don't really care about the rest. Maybe Daichi should have cared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The failures of one's heart

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on [Tumblr](http://yurika-schiffer.tumblr.com/post/118279087859/the-failures-of-ones-heart-kurodai-1582w)  
> I don't think it's really that horrible but I don't want problems so beware; also didn't tag the ship because it's not really that shippy;  
> If you have any questions because the setting of the AU isn't really clear (and it isn't at all, really), you can come ask me on my [Tumblr](http://yurika-schiffer.tumblr.com)!  
> English isn't my main language so don't hesitate to let me know if there are still mistakes!

“Don’t do that again.” Kuroo’s eyes were filled with rage.

He stood a few feet away from Daichi, eyeing him angrily. His tail waving with impatience, the half-panther man snarled at the other one. Daichi’s wings stretched to get to an intimidating width.

“Then don’t come any closer. You don’t want to get yourself killed, do you?”

“Coming from a bird, that’s rich. I might as well just eat you.”

“You wouldn’t. You can only take children. Adults would make you sick and we both know that. The poison in our bodies is deadly for anyone tasting it. That’s why we protect children so much. If your kittens were in danger, you would do anything to save them, right? So you understand why I need to keep you away, even if it means using something as low as arrows covered with sap.”

“Why so mean, Sawamura? If I remember properly,” Kuroo grinned viciously, “you did let Yaku take one of your chicks, didn’t you? Why can’t I have one too?”

The next arrow came so fast that Kuroo had trouble avoiding it. His grin widened.

“Now, now! Did I say something wrong? I’m pretty sure I remember seeing Yaku coming back with a small dark baby crow!” Another arrow. “He had a beautiful dark blue feathering and wide clear eyes— or maybe that was just an effect of having his throat ripped off—“ Two arrows. “I must admit, red suited him pretty well!”

Kuroo jumped as three arrows came his way. Somehow, everything was easier than he had expected. Sawamura reacted way too well to his provocations. Not that he would complain about that, though.

“How bad did you feel when you couldn’t find him, I wonder! Did you tell yourself that you should have been more carful? That it was your fault if the kid wasn’t here? Or maybe you were relieved because that made a mouth less to feed!” An arrow again.

Daichi wasn’t saying anything but even from afar, Kuroo could tell he was fuming. Children were an upsetting topic for any clans; missing or dead children were another one very taboo. And someone ready to use them as a provocation was seen as extremely loathsome. Good that Kuroo didn’t care about reputation.

“I think he helped feeding all of our little cats and even some of our fully grown-up ass! I wonder what you crows were forming him for… Maybe hunter? He had pretty sharp claws. Maybe nursing or something like that, he did have soft feathers, like the ones of that other kid we ate a few years ago!” Kuroo smirked. Oh, how much Sawamura would want to kill him with that! _Keeping your cool? Not today, darling!_ Kuroo snorted for himself.

“Why are you doing this?” Daichi asked, finally. “What good does talking like that do to you or your business? If you expect me to make a mistake because of that, too bad, it’s not happening. At the very least, you’ll have me shooting all of my arrows to you but that wouldn’t help you either. I have other weapons.”

“Shoot, you blew my cover!” Kuroo grinned. “Now I have to surrender, is that it? Boo, I got caught by the very scary Sawamura, I’m going to die here!”

“Stop playing around. You’re despicable. I don’t know what you hoped when coming here, but I won’t let you pass nor will I let you go.”

Kuroo’s grin didn’t falter. If anything, it only grew larger. Everything was so funny to him. He knew he would have fun if he came to Sawamura but he honestly didn’t expect that much.

What Sawamura thought were his strengths were actually his weaknesses. The poor man didn’t understand anything that was happening and was so oblivious to everything. To Kuroo, the situation was even more hilarious. He could almost burst into laughter right now.

The branches of the trees around them started moving due to the wind blowing. The sounds of leaves ruffling was the only thing they could hear for a moment of silence. Sawamura set his next arrow on his bow, arched it and aimed, though he didn’t let the arrow go for now. Kuroo guessed he was waiting for any movement not to his liking. Still feeling playful, he raised his hands in the air in a shrug; the arrow flew right under his left hand. Laughter began to fill him and he let his head fall back and laughed like he never laughed before.

Predictable and oblivious. Yeah, that was how Kuroo could describe Sawamura at the moment. He had been like that since Kuroo arrived, really. But now everything was even truer. Kuroo could easily say where the next arrows were going to be shot.

“What are your laughing for?!” Daichi yelled, an angry grimace all over his face. Kuroo could almost say it was cute, to see his nose scrunched like that, the flames of rage dancing in his eyes and his pretty human-like teeth out.

Maybe in another life, Kuroo would have taken a better liking of this square face and firm body. Maybe if they hadn’t been from deadly rival clans, they could have gotten along well. Sawamura did look like the kind of friendly and reliable guy. Well, that is, if you except all those times baby crows ended up being Kuroo’s clan’s food. Reliable and trusting— a little bit too much trusting, at that; to Sawamura, enemies could ally to avoid blood baths and wars. That was a quite childish way of thinking, Kuroo had to say. Maybe after that night, Sawamura would stop believing this. His kind-heartedness was what he thought was his greatest strength. Kuroo would prove him it was his greatest weakness.

“I’m laughing for life, my dear Sawamura! Laughing for and at life, because that’s what I can enjoy for another year at least, tonight! Not sure your baby crows will think the same, though. Maybe you should ask them? Or ask my friends what they think about that?”

“What are you—“

Screams rose up in the dark sky of night. Daichi’s eyes widened and he let his bow fall on the ground. Kuroo saw shock and fear fill his eyes quickly before he turned around. Daichi took one step forward and another. But the next one was stopped right away and he found himself in Kuroo’s grip.

The predator smirk on the panther’s face gave him shivers and he felt oh so trapped. He tried to elbow him in the guts, or anywhere actually, but all that happened was Kuroo avoiding the hits and tightening his grip on his throat.

“Say, Sawamura? Do you ever think about how much feelings are fucked up? Those things can either succeed you or kill you at light’s speed. They make you feel like shit for everything and make you lower your guard in the worst situation… You know, just like what happened right now? If you hadn’t focused solely on my presence, maybe you would have seen or heard my friends when they came around and went past you! I’m honoured you see me as your biggest threat, though!” Kuroo grinned, tilting Daichi’s head so he looked at him.

Daichi’s nails – or claws, for all cares – dug into Kuroo’s forearms, making them bleed. Kuroo tightened his grip once again, laughing and starting to scratch lightly against the crow’s neck.

“You’re getting yourself closer to your death like that you know? Your hands are covered in blood; I could let you run and go see your baby crows getting slaughtered, and you would only have a few hours left to cry over the dead bodies we couldn’t bring back home. But I’m a kind man; if you ask nicely, I can kill you right here so you won’t have to see the results of your failures!”

Obviously, the other couldn’t answer, as the air started to lack in his lungs. But Kuroo didn’t want to asphyxiate him. That wouldn’t be fun. What he could do, on the other hand, was to use one of Daichi’s own arrows to make him die slowly and painfully.

And he did that. Sawamura still in his grip, he bent over to pick one of the arrows left in the pretty quiver. He put it before Sawamura’s eyes to let him understand, even if the poor man had trouble keeping his eyes open now. Then Kuroo stuck the arrow right next to the crow’s heart, making sure it wouldn’t kill him on the spot but would still do a lot of damages.

He let go of the man and watched him fall on the ground. He had trouble breathing and tears were falling from his half-closed eyes. Were those tears due to the pain or sadness, Kuroo couldn’t care less. Right now, the only thing that mattered was the man dying in front of him and the screams still coming from a little farther.

The plan had been perfect, in all honesty. And had proven itself to be exactly that. Kuroo would distract Sawamura Daichi, the main guard of the crow clan, while the rest of his fellow felines would sneak into their camp and well, just slaughter everyone and take the children. Sawamura had reacted just as planned and even better. Yaku, Kai and the new hunters had succeeded in taking over the camp easily.

“Maybe in another life you will do better, Sawamura. But today your life ends here.”


End file.
